Bean, Corn & Pumpkin Risotto

Brimming with fall’s freshest flavors, this Southwestern spin on risotto is a cozy treat for your next Meatless Monday meal. This recipe comes to us from Jenn at Veggie Inspired Journey.

Serves 6

For the Risotto

1 1/2 cups risotto rice (Acquerello or Arborio)

1/2 cup Spanish wine (such as Malbec)

5 cups vegetable broth

1.5 tbsp lime juice

1 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp oregano

1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)

1 15 oz can black beans (or 1.5 cups)

4 oz can diced green chiles

salt/pepper to taste

For the Pumpkin Sauce

1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp chili powder

1 tsp agave nectar (or pure maple syrup)

3 tbsp nutritional yeast, optional

1 tbsp lime juice

salt/pepper, to taste

Toppings, optional

Avocado

Chopped tomato

Cilantro

Green Onion

Dash of Sriracha

Squeeze of lime juice

Crushed tortilla chips

Gently heat the vegetable stock in a sauce pan with 1 1/2 tbsp of lime juice in a sauce pan and keep it warm on low heat.

In a large pot, sauté the onion, bell pepper, and spices in 1/4 cup vegetable broth, about 5-7 minutes or until the veggies start to soften.

Meanwhile, make the pumpkin sauce. In a small bowl, whisk everything together listed under pumpkin sauce above and set aside.

When veggies are tender, add the corn, black beans, green chiles, and salt/pepper and sauté another 2 minutes. Add another tbsp or two of veggie broth if veggies are starting to stick. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

In the same pot you sautéed the veggies in, add the rice over medium heat and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes just to toast gently. Add the wine and and stir until the liquid is completely absorbed by the rice.

Add about 1/2 cup of vegetable broth to the rice at a time. After each addition, stir constantly until the liquid is almost fully absorbed. It’s ok if it still looks a little wet, but if you drag a spoon through the rice, it should be able to stay separated.

Continue with this process until the rice is cooked through. Start testing the rice (by eating a small piece) after about 15-20 minutes. You may not use all of the vegetable broth.

When you are happy with the texture of the rice, take off the heat and stir in the veggie mixture and pumpkin sauce you made earlier until well combined.